The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter is a 1850 novel by American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is a historical fiction novel that was one of America's first mass-produced novels and even earned the status as America's first psychological story. It was successful upon being published and considered to be a masterpiece in American literature. Set in Puritan New England in the mid 16th-century, the story focuses on a young woman accused of adultery and struggles to fit in society while dealing with guilt, sin and repentance. Plot summary In 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts, a nameless man and the novel's main narrator, works at a surveyor at the local customhouse. In the attic he discovers a bunch of documents, with a manuscript imprinted with a large, red "A" on the front cover, that depicts the life of a woman named Hester Prynne that occurs long before the man's current time. After he loses his job at the customhouse, the narrator begins to write and retell the story from the manuscript. 200 years earlier, in Boston in the late 1630s during the Puritan settlement, the woman named Hester Prynne is led from her prison cell with an infant in her arms, up to the town scaffold when she was publicly humiliated and punished by the townsfolk for committing adultery, that resulted in the birth of her child. As a result, she was condemned to wear a bright, letter "A" patch on her breast as a sign of her crime. During her time on the scaffold, she was repeatedly asked the name of her baby's father, but Hester refuses. She spots an older man she recognizes in the crowd, and it was her estranged husband, who she thought was lost at sea, but had arrived in Boston and changed his name to Roger Chillingworth. In her prison cell, Prynne meets Chillingworth who poses as a doctor and tells her that she must not reveal to anyone of his identity and will find out who the father is. Hester moves into a small cottage outside of Boston and lives there with her child, a daughter she named Pearl. She works as a seamstress and supports her community. Pearl has become fascinated with her mother's "A" symbol, and is an unruly, wild child. The officials have planned to take Pearl away from Prynne, but a minister named Arthur Dimmesdale managed to keep mother and daughter together. Meanwhile, Chillingworth becomes the town's physician and one of his patients was Dimmesdale, who began experiencing heart problems. Chillingworth took the minister in to take care of him, but after he notices a red mark on the man's chest, he is convinced that Dimmesdale could be Prynne's lover and the father of Pearl. Dimmesdale becomes so tormented by his guilt that he stands on top of the town scaffold where Prynne had stood a few years earlier. Hester and Pearl spot him there, and as they join him, a meteor appears in the sky that lights up a red "A" shape. Dimmesdale's health worsens, and Prynne decides to help him after she realizes Chillingworth is torturing him as revenge. One day, Prynne encounters Dimmesdale in the forest, and tells him of her husband's identity and revenge. She convinces him that they should flee the country and move to Europe with Pearl. Dimmesdale was happy with this idea and he gains more energy. The couple plan to leave the day after Dimmesdale delivers a sermon in the public square. But Dimmesdale realizes that he is dying and Prynne discovers that Chillingworth is among the passengers on the ship departing Boston. After the sermon, Dimmesdale climbs onto the town scaffold and Hester and Pearl join him. He finally confesses his sin to the public about his affair with Prynne by revealing a letter "A" carved into his chest. He dies in Prynne's arms. Chillingworth dies from his frustration and Pearl receives a fortune. Both Prynne and Pearl leave the country and travel overseas together. Years later, Prynne returns to Boston and continues to wear the scarlet letter. After she dies, she is interred next to Dimmesdale, sharing a tombstone with the letter "A" on it. Characters [[Hester Prynne|'Hester Prynne']]- The main character of The Scarlet Letter. She is a Puritan woman who was punished to wear a "A" patch as a sign of her adultery crime. She was married to an older scholar and was sent to America without him. She had an affair with a minister and bore a child out of wedlock. She is a strong and passionate woman who strives to be part of her society despite being treated as an outcast. Pearl- The illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne and her lover Arthur Dimmesdale. She is a mischievous and naughty little girl who had no Christian faith and causes torment to those around her, especially to her mother. She also rants about the Black Man being her true father and can talk to animals. She symbolizes Hester's passion and sinfulness, but she is still her mother's pride and joy. [[Arthur Dimmesdale|'Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale']]- The local minister and Hester's lover. He is beloved and respected by his community, and he eventually fell in love with Hester and fathered her daughter. But because of his adultery crime, he becomes extremely tormented by his guilt both physically and mentally, even developing a fatal heart condition. As he is slowly dying, he begins to have a hard time trying to reveal his sin to the public. [[Roger Chillingworth|'Roger Chillingworth']]- Hester's husband. Roger is a man much older than his young wife and a brilliant English scholar. He sends her ahead to America but when he tries to arrive there himself, he was captured by the Native Americans. He soon changes his name to "Chillingworth" and becomes the local doctor. Upon finding out about Hester's affair, he becomes determined to take revenge on Dimmesdale for falling in love with his wife. Governor Bellingham- Based on the same historical figure of the same name, Bellingham is the governor of Massachusetts, a rich aristocratic who enjoys his wealth and lifestyle. But he makes strict Puritan rules and punishes those who broke them, such as his plan to take away Pearl from Hester. Mistress Hibbins- Bellingham's sister with who he lives with. She's believed to be a witch and would often sneak into the woods to talk and play with the Black Man. She is also based on a historical figure named Ann Hibbins, who was also the Govenor's sister in real life. Reverend John Wilson- An elderly and kind pastor. He is Boston's clergyman and he is like a grandfather figure to everyone. He also serves as Dimmesdale's mentor and convinces him to reveal the identity of Hester's lover. He is also based on a historical figure (1588-1667) an English minister who was one of the first settlers arriving in America in 1630. Writing History/Reception Themes Symbols Foreshadowing Dimmesdale's actions and motivations, such as defending Hester and Pearl from the Govenor. Foreshadows his health wasting away and confessing his sin before dying. External Links https://www.gradesaver.com/the-scarlet-letter https://americanliterature.com/the-scarlet-letter-study-guide https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Scarlet-Letter/ https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-scarlet-letter https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/scarlet/ Category:American literature Category:19th-century novels Category:Novels Set in the 17th-century Category:Novels Category:Psychological novels